Raising Steven
by Crystal-Gem-Goddess
Summary: "Life is beautiful, Steven. You have a lot to learn before you can use your gem. Everyday a new lesson is learned which becomes a new step toward our destiny. It just takes time, Steven. It just takes time..." Garnet quietly said as she held the bruised boy closer to her. She loved Steven and she enjoyed seeing him grow up. Art cover credit/permission given by Gracekraft on Tumblr!
1. Memories Are Not Forgotten (Part 1)

**Raising Steven Chapter 1 **

Part 1: Memories Are Not Forgotten

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Tender little cries, belonging to a small baby boy, echoed down the halls of the small beach home which made everyone's ears perk up from their sleep. His gentle cry even woke up a young nine year old girl who slept in the living room couch.

"Grr...would you please shut up Steven!" Amethyst hissed through her teeth as she pulled the pillow closer to her ears to block out the cries.

"Pearl! Garnet! Mr. Universe! Help me..."

Nothing was heard in reply. With annoyance, Amethyst threw her legs to the side of the couch and rubbed her starry eyes. She caught a glimpse of Steven's arms that were reaching out for a hand that would comfort him.

"Mr. Universe?" Amethyst asked out as she remembered that Steven's father, Greg, was going to stay with them for a few weeks and help with Steven. However, she received no reply or snore from the clumsy man which made her frustrated.

"So much for helping out," Amethyst grunted, "Please tell me that Steven needs milk...not another gross diaper change."

She slowly got up and shuffled her feet toward the small crib that held Steven. The baby was the smallest being Amethyst ever saw in her life. His round rosy cheeks stood out from his face and his dark brown eyes shined at the sight of a familiar face. Small fingers and toes were grasping in the air as he struggled under his blue blanket and pajamas. Carefully, Amethyst picked up the baby and cradled him in her arms just like Pearl taught her.

"So little guy...you already seem to like me." The girl sheepishly said as she brushed Steven's hair through her fingers. "I wonder how your gem looks like. Does it look like your mom's or do you have a special one of your own?¨

Amethyst moved her purple hand under Steven's shirt and felt the small crystal gem on his belly. She moved her hand upward to try and catch a glimpse of his gem until she heard the temple's door open and light footsteps walk into the scene.

"Ohh...you got him?" Amethyst heard which made her roll her sleepy eyes.

"Yes Pearl. I already got him...like ten minutes ago. Geez, do you really take that long to just get up?"

The young girl shook her head as her eyes met Pearl's appearance. Pearl had hair rollers in her short hair as well as facial spa mask cream spreaded across her face which made Amethyst giggle. Pearl looked like an average teenage girl in her white tank top and blue pajama shorts.

"Well yes, but that was quicker than the other times."

"Yeah right Ms. Perfect." Amethyst argued back as she walked back to the couch to settle baby Steven down.

"Well Ms. Perfect...are you gonna help me or not?"

Pearl snickered as she walked in the living room and made her way toward Amethyst. Once she was there her eyebrows were raised when she saw someone missing.

"Where's Greg?" Pearl asked in curiosity as she turned her head around looking for him.

Amethyst just shrugged at her question which made Pearl face palmed. The teenager didn't really like Greg since she saw him as an irresponsible father. However while pregnant, Rose Quartz would always claim that Greg would make an outstanding father which made the three other gems question her.

"Ugh! What could he be doing now?" Complained the teenager while rubbing her eye temples with her boney fingers.

"It doesn't matter. Just help me! I think Steven is hungry. His diaper doesn't stink at all." Amethyst interrupted Pearl before she went into her negative thoughts.

The purple gem gently placed Steven on Pearl's lap for her to cradle him to sleep. Pearl took Steven in her arms and placed him on her right shoulder so she can hush Steven and pat his back. While doing this, the teenager would always sing a small song Rose would sing to them when the Crystal Gems were in tough times of fear.

_"Child of the stars_

_I'm here to heal your scars_

_I'll always be here, so stop your weeping _

_Through the thunder and rain_

_You won't suffer any pain_

_As you fall asleep _

_Under my blanket of love"_

After her last line, Pearl closed her eyes and felt the absolute bliss of the baby's peaceful atmosphere. That is until she heard a small burp come from his mouth which made Amethyst burst in laughter.

"Ha! He burped right in your ear!"

"Oh hush! At least he didn't puke on my shoulder like he did to Garnet last week."

After her statement, Pearl and Amethyst couldn't help but laugh even harder by remembering the embarrassing time Garnet went through.

"True. The look on Garnet's face will always be priceless." Amethyst said.

"I know right. We should've taken a picture of her." Pearl laughed until she received a kick in the stomach by Steven. The baby just giggled at his mischievous act in his light sweet tone which warmed Pearl's heart.

"I already like this kid. I can tell we're going to get along fine."

The younger gem looked over Pearl's shoulder to look directly at Steven's round face and poked his nose in a playful way. Although she was quite annoyed that Steven was going to be a handful to look after, Amethyst did enjoy his company.

"I can already see that. You know you can see him as a younger brother. He's already one of us since he has...," Pearl struggled as she looked away from Amethyst and stared directly at the ground, "...Rose's gem..."

Upon noticing this, young Amethyst smiled her best while hugging Pearl, who was near the verge letting her tears out. She also felt the same pain of her loss. Rose Quartz was an amazing mentor who cared and taught the gems many fighting tricks as well as act as an adoptive mother for them. The kind pink gem even saved mankind by standing up to an evil force, but that story was well hidden from the Crystal Gems because they didn't knew much about it.

"Don't cry Pearly. I miss her too, but-"

"How's Steven doing?" A deep feminine English voice interrupted Amethyst which caused the two gems to raise their heads; including Steven.

"Garnet? What….?" Amethyst asked in confusion only to get a nudge in the ribs by Pearl.

"How is Steven?" Garnet asked once again as she stepped out of her room and walked down the steps. Her masculine shoulders were shown tensed under her deep red tank top that slipped past her shoulders and her gauntlets were already presented on her hands.

The tall red gem quickly made her way toward her companions which made Amethyst and Pearl wonder what was wrong until a small faint smile formed from Garnet's lips. A smile was formed because Steven already had his arms reaching out for her to hold him. The older teenager discarded her gauntlets in just a few seconds.

"Sorry gems. I had a terrible nightmare about Rose and Steven. With Steven crying, I feared that it came true." Garnet explained as she lifted Steven up and bounced him up and down.

Amethyst and Pearl just looked at each other and back at Garnet with their mouths open as no words came from them. Pearl though motioned with her hands for Garnet to continue her story.

"Rose had Steven in her arms while walking through a meadow, but there was something following them. It was big and it had large claws that seemed like sharp knives. I still don't know what it is, but something happened..."

"What is it Garnet? Did it kill them?" Amethyst asked in desperation with wide eyes.

Without even directly looking at them, Garnet nodded her head and brought Steven closer to her. Pearl gasped and had her hands cupped to her mouth while Amethyst shook her head to get the gory image out of her head.

"That's why we should always keep our eye out on Steven and make sure nothing harms him. Especially you Amethyst. You may not be able to activate your weapon yet, but you have the same strength as us."

Amethyst shook her head in understanding and felt a new heavyweight brought upon her shoulders. It felt like she was responsible for Steven even if Garnet and Pearl were also going to guard him. She glanced down her oversized black shirt to see her gem on her chest. It may not be able to do anything at the moment, but she sometimes felt a little rush in her gem. Amethyst knew that her time to discover her weapon was closer than she knew.

"What could the beast possibly want?" Pearl asked as she tapped her index finger on her chin.

"I think it was after Rose's gem because after it killed them, it ran off with something in its mouth. I don't even know why it was after her gem."

"But, how was Rose or Steven alive if one of them doesn't have their gem? I thought Crystal Gems always needed their gem or they'll be dead. Also, why didn't Rose defend herself?" Pearl wondered loudly which made Amethyst growl in annoyance.

"Ugh, why do you ask so many pointless questions Pearl? It's just a nightmare which means that it's not real or true."

"As if you knew better! What if Rose is signaling us that something wants to harm Steven...or even possibly us?"

"Well if..." Amethyst began and soon her words trailed off when she realized that Pearl was right. "Well then...uhh...fine. You win."

Pearl snorted in approval and crossed her arms at her victory. However before Pearl can bicker, Steven began to cry again.

"Why don't we just give him milk? He'll probably just shut up with it." Amethyst said and yawned while stretching her arms. "I'm very sleepy anyway. Either you guys take him or I'll just sleep out on the shore."

Before she could make her way to the front door, she heard Steven snivel for her to come toward him. Amethyst grunted in frustration and made her way to the baby. Once again, Steven was in her arms and was pulling her long light purple hair.

"Where the heck is his bottle?"

With Amethyst's question being said, Pearl got up and frantically looked around the room for Steven's bottle. She looked in drawers, cabinets, under the couch and bed, but she had no luck at all.

"What happened to all of them? I swore we bought ten bottles for him last week, but they just mysteriously disappear. Garnet are you going to help look for them?"

Garnet ignored Pearl and held a hand up signaling the Crystal Gems that something was wrong.

"Did you hear that gems? Something is outside the main door."

Pearl and Amethyst were confused at first until a loud voice rang outside the main door which made them jump. The second oldest gem summoned her weapon from the pearl on her forehead and snuck up behind Garnet. Her hands were already gripped onto her spear in case the unknown thing from behind the main door was planning to attack them.

"Pearl I want you to go behind the door to hold your spear onto their neck when they enter. Amethyst take Steven into my room and don't touch anything." Garnet ordered the girls. She lightly dashed toward the temple's entrance and held her gems to the pattern on it which activated the door to open.

"Quickly!"

Amethyst held Steven closer to her and ran into the temple with a small fear that was forming inside her gut. Once she was inside, she looked back toward the others with unconfident eyes as they were already into their places so they can attack. Her purple eyes even tried to adjust to the dark shadow behind the door, but the temple's door closed before she can see who it really was.

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**_Hello Steven Universe fandom! I'm also an author for the Gravity Falls community (I'm TheFallingPenguin), but I'm going to be more active here. _**

**_Don't forget to follow/favorite/review because those fuel me to write more! :D_**

**_-Gem Goddess (GG) _**


	2. Memories Are Not Forgotten (Part 2)

**Raising Steven Chapter 2 **

Part 2: Memories Are Not Forgotten

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Thirty minutes have passed since Garnet ordered Amethyst to go into her room to keep guard of Steven. The young gem at the time was already bored. She longed to fight side by side with Garnet and Pearl even if she feared of their enemy.

"Well then, how long are they going to take? They're taking forever and I'm sure me and Steven could just defeat whatever that thing is in just minutes. Right Steven?" Amethyst assured herself and the small baby being held in her hands.

She was found sitting on the floor with Steven sitting on her lap and she was playing with his chubby arms as if he was a toy doll.

"Right. We can kick that thing's butt because we're way more awesome then them!" Amethyst answered in Steven's place and laughed. The baby even laughed at her silly jokes and began to aggressively pull her hair.

"Ow...Steven! That hurts you know."

Amethyst pulled Steven's hands out of her hair and softly settled them down by his side. After that they just stared at each other with no words being said. Steven blinked and his smile faded away which turned into a frown.

To break the silence, Amethyst decided to get up with Steven still in her hands so she can explore Garnet's dark room. She cautiously walked around each object there was which kind of made her change her opinions on the strong gem. In Garnet's room there was tons of weight lifting machines, large rocks with strange markings on them, a messy black drawer with bottles of hairspray and combs, wrinkled clothes and shoes scattered throughout the floor, and even a mirror near her queen sized bed. However, there was something that caught Amethyst's attention. It was a small book titled, _Memories_.

"Why would Garnet have a photo album?" Amethyst mentally questioned herself.

With one arm secured onto holding Steven and the other loose, she grabbed the album and sat on Garnet's bed. She opened the book and was greeted with a picture of the three girls she spent her entire life with. There was Rose, Pearl, Garnet, and herself while sitting on the sandy beach with smiles on their faces.

"Those were the days when it would be just the four of us going on dangerous quests and even relax while pulling small pranks on each other. But most of all, I miss Rose."

A small tear escaped from Amethyst's right eye and fell onto Steven's head which made the baby raise his head. He slowly lifted his hand and touched her face which made Amethyst control herself from letting a pool of tears escape her eyes.

"Thanks Steven. I know you're trying to comfort me and there's nothing to worry about." The purple gem said and hugged Steven. "Okay little bro."

After a while she broke the bond and moved her fingers toward the page of the photo album which got Steven's attention toward the photo.

"That's your mom, Steven. Her name is Rose Quartz. She's was very awesome and loved the three of us like family. I'm sure she would've loved you more though since you're her son. I just hope that one day you meet her so you can see how amazing she was."

Amethyst closed the book after she had her explanation to Steven since she didn't want to go through any memories at the moment. Rose's death happened two weeks ago which means that her memory is still fresh in her mind. Amethyst just gave Steven a fake laugh which disguised her face full of sorrow.

"Ugh! When are we going to get out of here? The bad thing is I can't get out of here without Garnet opening her door." The angry gem hissed as she got up and walked back to the drawer so she can place the album back in its place. Just as she was going to take her final step toward it, the temple door opened which made Amethyst stop right in her tracks.

"Amethyst, what did I tell you?" Amethyst heard from the entrance of the door.

"Uhh...to not touch anything..."

The purple gem saw Garnet walk toward her and messed up her long hair in a playful sisterly way. After that, Garnet grabbed the book from Amethyst and picked Steven up.

"You miss her a lot right? You still can't get over the fact that she sacrificed herself for her child to be here right?" Amethyst quietly said as she followed Garnet out of her room.

"Yes I do, but this is how the Crystal Gem life cycle works." Garnet coolly replied while adjusting her shades. "Gems will have to sacrifice their own gem in order for their child to have life."

Amethyst fell dead silent because Garnet's words stung her like a bee. The poor girl never even met her parents; not even her father, who she supposes is still alive, but is with someone else. Amethyst only knows about her aunt and uncle who live very far away which meant that she doesn't even have any close blood relatives nearby.

"Is this photo album the reason why you don't want me to touch anything because your secret is that you do scrapbooks or albums and such?" Amethyst asked in order to change the subject.

"No. I just feel that the two of you can cause a lot of trouble together and you may hurt Steven with my stuff."

The purple gem just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as she walked down the steps and was finally back in the living room or Steven's room, as Pearl would claim.

"What was the thing behind the main door?" Amethyst asked once she saw Pearl sitting on the couch while trimming her finger nails.

"We don't know, but the _thing_ talks like a normal human. Before we can open the door, they left and there was nothing there."

"...and that took you guys thirty minutes to figure that out?" Retorted the youngest girl as she walked to Pearl and took a seat next to her.

"Well sorry Amethyst, but we just wanted to make sure it didn't come back. It's all clear for now." Pearl said in her usual tone and raised her head to see the baby being held by Garnet. "Can I hold Steven now?"

Steven smiled over Garnet's shoulder as he heard Pearl's voice. His small fingers were in his mouth and he cooed in a sweet babyish way.

"Aw...Isn't he just adorable?" Pearl squealed with awe and her eyes shined with love as she saw Steven raise his arms.

"Very." Replied Garnet.

"Well he is a baby, but you know that the cuteness will go away once he learns to walk and talk." Amethyst muttered while not taking her eyes off the main door. Something felt very odd for her.

"Guys...I think it's back. It doesn't seem like a monster or whatever. It actually looks like a human."

Garnet steadily gave the baby to Pearl and looked back toward the door. The bright moon outside shined the reflection of the being through the glass. Amethyst was right; indeed it was a human.

"It is. Maybe there wasn't that much light when they came before which made it seem strange."

The shadow behind the door raised its hand and began to knock on the door. In their hands there were several bags as well as a long strip of paper that looked like a receipt.

"Uhh...weird magical girls, open the door! It's actually very cold out here..." The voice shouted and banged against the door. "It's me...Steven's father, Greg!"

The Crystal Gems' eyes widened and they looked at each other. Many questions ran through their minds. What could he be doing out late that night?

Amethyst was the one who decided to answer Greg, but was held back by Garnet. The red gem tilted her head toward the couch, as if she's signaling her to go back. Carefully, Garnet walked to the door and opened it. There she saw Steven's father. His long black hair went past his shoulders and his leather black jacket shined the moon's bright reflection.

"What are you doing out late?" Garnet sternly said. "You're supposed to be here and help with your son. Not going out-"

"It's not what you think. I was at the pharmacy getting Steven his food and that baby formula stuff. I came here until I heard about you guys needing baby bottles. So I went back to get them. That's why I'm late." Greg defensively replied while holding up his hands up.

Pearl rolled her eyes and shook her head. She still didn't believe a word the man said. Even Amethyst didn't believe him.

"How can you guys not believe me? I have bags and the receipt to prove it. I wasn't out doing things I shouldn't do. Why do you guys hate me so much?" Spat the man while glaring at them.

"Well...I...you're the reason why Rose left us!" Pearl quietly yelled back while making sure not to scare Steven.

"Me? Well-"

"Enough!" Garnet hissed while stomping her foot to stop the argument among them. "Pearl, Greg isn't the reason why Rose left us. It's no one's fault. It was just Rose's fate. At least she left us Steven."

Pearl, Amethyst, and Greg looked toward the small baby boy. He still had his fingers in his mouth as well as saliva dripping down his tan chin. Steven was just an innocent angel and was Rose's gift to them. His dark eyes even told Rose's story, but was left with him to continue it. After all, he did inherit his mother's gem.

"It's true. At least she left us this adorable little poop sack." Amethyst said and stroke Steven's chin to wipe the saliva off of it.

The second oldest teenager weakly smiled as she lifted up Steven's shirt. His deep pink gem shined brightly on his small round stomach. Pearl hugged Steven as a tear fell down her cheek and she quietly laughed.

"Well, he is adorable…" Pearl agreed with Amethyst. Once again, everything was at peace.

"See gems. I'll go make Steven's milk now." Garnet said and grabbed the plastic bags from Greg then proceeded to the kitchen. What was left behind her was an awkward moment of silence.

Greg stood there as the two other gems were sweetly talking to Steven and playing with him. He honestly felt left out and felt as if his own son wasn't even his. For just one feature Steven had, it completely made Greg unsure about his son, but it didn't matter. He loved him no matter what.

"Um, can I hold my son now?" Greg awkwardly asked as his eyes met Steven's own brown ones.

"Sure." Replied the slim teenager and gave Greg the small baby which made the man smile.

"Hey little guy. I'm your daddy."

Steven giggled and his cheeks were bright pink while his hands were grasping for his father's hair. Happiness was shown from Steven's expression which also triggered something unusual to happen. Underneath Steven's shirt, a small glow burned throughout the blue fabric which made everyone gasp.

"His gem! It's glowing!" Pearl squealed in excitement. "Where's the camera? Because this is the first time his gem is glowing and I don't want to forget this. Where is it?!"

Amethyst just laughed as she got up and walked toward Steven to lift up his shirt. To her amazement, the baby's gem glowed even brighter as Steven giggled harder.

"Is this what's going to happen when he's happy?" Greg worriedly asked as he looked away as the light glow came to the point it became eye piercing.

"I don't think so because this is too early for him to activate it yet." Pearl replied as she opened up a nearby cabinet to pull out a cheap flash camera.

"Garnet! Come quick!" The slim gem spoke out, but to her surprise found Garnet already standing by her with Steven's bottle in her hand.

"I'm already here and I have his milk. Before you say anything, I already know about his gem."

The Crystal Gems all gathered around Greg and Steven with grins on their faces. Pearl even began to snap many pictures of Steven while fluttery singing, _"This is for memories!"_

Love was felt in the air as they all stared at Steven's gem in adoration. For his age, especially as an infant, Steven was still incredibly young for him to discover the power of connecting with his gem. However for his excuse, there was something different about this glow. The shining light moved as if it was a candle blowing through the wind which made it seem alive. And there was only one person who noticed this.

"Gems, I know why this is happening. Rose Quartz lives inside Steven's gem. When happiness and love surrounds Steven, this may happen. It's her emotions reflecting too." Garnet surprisingly stated as she took Steven from Greg's arms and slipped the bottle in the baby's mouth. "She's always here with him."

Steven loudly gulped big mouthfuls of milk and wrapped his stubby fingers around the bottle. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the delicious warm beverage going down his throat.

"Wow. For such a small baby he sure has a big appetite." The nine year old girl claimed as she saw Steven finish his bottle and threw it on the ground. "And...too demanding…"

Soon enough, the baby's eyes were beginning to close as well as his gem glow that went away. His small mouth opened into the shape of an 'O' which was a yawn from sleepiness. Steven even began to dig his head deeper into Garnet's arms and eventually fell asleep.

"Aw...he fell asleep in your arms Garney." Pearl playfully said while slightly nudging Garnet with her elbow.

The tall gem walked to the couch with Steven in her hands and sat back on it with her head thrown back. No one could tell if she also fell asleep due to the shades blocking her eyes, but her chest rose up and down steadily.

"Welp, looks like I have company tonight. Good night Pearl." Amethyst yawned and joined Garnet on the couch. She looked back at Pearl with half closed eyes. "You can come to the sleepover as well." Her long hair blocked her purple eyes and soon she was found asleep with her head resting on Garnet's left shoulder.

Greg and Pearl were the only ones left standing in complete silence. Eventually, minutes went by of them staring at the sleeping group presented in front them. Pearl shook out of her dazed phase and turned toward the older man next to her only to be slightly surprised. His heavy eyes were closing and he was starting to snore. Pearl decided to lightly tap on his shoulder as she felt a bit of guilt for despising the man. Slowly she saw Greg's eyes flicker open.

"You should probably get in your bed. It's nearly three am. Garnet has Steven taken care of." Pearl whispered while making sure not to wake up the Crystal Gems.

"Really? It's three am…?"

Pearl nodded as she held a finger to her mouth. Out of her mouth all that came was a quiet, "shh..."

"I'm going to my room to wash this cream off my face, gel my hair, and have some sleep. If you need anything, just knock on the crystal temple's door twice. That's my room's bell number." Remarked the tall teenager and turned her back to walk towards the stone door.

"Sure. I thought gems don't need sleep and why don't you stay here with them?" Greg asked in confusion as he walked up the stairs and sat on his bed.

"Well...we don't need sleep, but it just feels refreshing. On the other question, I just don't want to disrupt them as I try to get comfortable. I tend to squirm around a lot when I sleep." Pearl faintly answered. Soon enough, she disappeared out of the room.

Now Greg was the only one awake and there was nothing that he could do. He crouched down, to take off his leather boots and fell back onto the comfortable mattress. The past month has been a tough challenge for him. He barely has enough money for him to raise his newborn son, he has an extremely low courage of caring for Steven, and the worst part is, how can he considering helping Steven without Rose. Greg would even find himself losing sleep as he had the fear of losing Steven due to his gem powers and he thought that he lived with the biggest regret in his life. He blamed himself for all those problems as he was the one who made Rose pregnant, but all of his past problems was a completely different story. All Greg worried about was whether he should stay with the Crystal Gems or not for the sake of his son.

"I should just relax. I'm not alone in this parenthood thing. Those magical girls can help me raise him…I hope. Oh Rose, I hope you help all of us. We all need you." Greg quietly said as he looked up at the ceiling with a broken heart.

A light small breeze came into the room, which brought chills up everyone's spines. Even Steven gave a little sneeze, but remained sleeping in Garnet's tight grip. However, the breeze was accompanied with a light heavenly voice which made it seem like it belonged to a goddess.

_"Don't worry, my love. Everything is planned accordingly. You just have to wait and see..."_

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**_Yeah, this was a long chapter, but nonetheless it was very sweet. This whole story may just be one-shots, but it will build up on a lot of character's personality. Also, isn't baby Steven just adorable? :)_**

**_Don't forget to review/follow/favorite this story! _**

**_-Gem Goddess (GG) _**


	3. The Red Protector (Part 1)

**Raising Steven Chapter 3**

The Red Protector (Part 1)

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"There are three things one gem must know in order to be a member of the Crystal Gems. One; be brave and courageous. Two; Have a strong sense of wisdom as you battle your enemies. Three; Even when at hard times, don't ever give up. A Crystal Gem is not a quitter." Explained the leader as she gripped Amethyst's neck with gritted teeth.

The short purple gem nodded as she wrapped her hands around Garnet's hard arms and tried to pull her off. Due to her hands being slippery, she would fail and only got a tongue click from Garnet.

"Come on. You said you wanted hard training, so I'll give you hard training." Hissed the red gem, tightening her headlock.

Amethyst grunted as she tried to kick Garnet from behind her, but only to kick into thin air. She would try and try again until she felt her lungs run out of oxygen. A wave of disappointment ran through her which made her stop her struggling. Soon enough, she even found her muscles shaking.

"Okay, okay! That's enough Garnet!" Amethyst begged and dropped to her knees. In just a few seconds, the red gem released her arms from her opponent's neck.

"You're too young for this, but you will have your time." Garnet stated, reaching over for a water bottle and passed it to the nine year old girl. Amethyst took the bottle in her hands and quickly drank the cold liquid.

"Ugh! When can I join you two? You guys get all the action while I'm here changing diapers and cleaning up vomit. Not to mention, dealing with that high pitched baby crying." Amethyst complained and tried to throw the empty plastic bottle into the trash can, but missed.

"Hey, you're not alone. Greg is here to help you. And Steven isn't that bad. He's a good kid."

"Yeah right. I'd like to see you babysit him."

Beside the girls was the small month old baby in a carriage, watching their conversation by their body language. Steven had no idea what they were even talking about, since he's a baby, but he innocently smiled at their face expressions. He even enjoyed seeing their previous training session. Without even squealing or loudly huffing, Steven brought his plush toys closer to him; his pink fluffy lion and Mr. Queasy.

"I do babysit him. Everyone does because he's our responsibility." Garnet explained while pointing toward Steven. "Look at him."

Amethyst turned her head, so her eyes can meet Steven's own. His eyes shined as he made bubbles in his mouth. He lifted up his toys and shook them up and down.

"Aaahh..." Steven squealed, throwing Mr. Queasy on the ground. With this, the nine year old rolled her eyes as she bended over and picked up the green toy, handing it back to Steven.

"He throws everything to the ground!" Amethyst complained, but she knew there was no way to reason with Garnet. The stoic gem was always hard to convince at times. All that Amethyst wanted is to at least go on a mission or task, so she can test her abilities for dangerous situations. But from her 'wrestling' session with Garnet, she had a lot of things to work on.

"It doesn't matter, Amethyst." And with that, Garnet turned her back to the younger gem. She moved her feet to the temple's door, until she was surprised to bump into Pearl.

"Garnet! We have to go to the Amazon rainforest!" Pearl exclaimed, with her hands flying into the air. "There's a small statue there, causing destruction to a small village of natives in Brazil. Earthquakes are occurring and rivers are overflowing. It looks like this statue even has a gem embedded in it. Also, I think it's located inside an ancient gem mine, but no one knows how to get to it. It disappears and reappears again...sort of like it's a trick."

From hearing this, Amethyst widely grinned from ear to ear and mentally thanked the stars above as her opportunity came. She ran up to Pearl, with her hands held behind her back, and made the sappiest puppy look face there could be. She pouted her lips and her pupils grew three times their normal size.

"Oh _graceful_ Pearl...can you please take _little ol' me_ with you? It'll be a good learning experience for me and I probably am able to activate my gem. I will even learn from my mistakes and I will be a better being from this journey."

Pearl groaned, her back slightly hunched, and she rolled her eyes. "I don't think so...who will babysit Steven? Greg is not here because he said that he is looking for a job, so he can have money to buy more stuff for the baby. Not to mention, this mission is going to be dangerous...especially, for a young girl like you!"

"Grr...Please! I'm dying in this baby prison and I swear that if I ever hear those annoying characters on _Dino Pop, _asking where the apple is when it's right behind them, I will destroy...well, something!" Amethyst growled with annoyance, releasing her sappy face.

"It's not my fault that it's his favorite show." Pearl brushed pass Garnet and Amethyst, and walked toward Steven. She carefully picked up the infant and cradled him in her arms. Her cheeks were filled with a warm blue blush as Steven reached up to touch the pearl on her head.

"He's just an adorable itty bitty baby, who can't even hurt a fly." Pearl crooned to Steven, tickling his stomach. From behind the heartwarming scene, Amethyst and Garnet could be seen with their mouths wide open.

"Is that a map, Pearl? ...Hanging from the back of your shirt?" Amethyst asked, pointing to the hanging folded paper from Pearl's waist.

The teenager turned around and with one hand, she felt the map tucked in her skirt's top. She quickly pulled it out, revealing a large graph of South America. Many lines were drawn onto it as well as small pictures representing them. Instead of her cheeks blushing of love for cuddling with Steven, they burned with worry and embarrassment. Somewhere inside her mind, Pearl didn't want to be accompanied with Amethyst, due to her young age and her lack of acknowledgement.

"Uhh...yes. It is. I...uh..." Pearl's lips quivered.

"Is that an ancient amethyst mine? Ohh, this will be a good mission for me, because hello? ...I'm Amethyst and that's where my family of gems is located!" Amethyst pleaded with her chest pumped out in pride.

Garnet shook her head as she grabbed the map from Pearl's hand, wanting to get a better view of it. "It's just your gem, Amethyst, but you can actually help with this mission. In these temples, specific gems are the key to open doors."

The purple gem couldn't even believe what she was even hearing. Just minutes ago, Garnet was disagreeing with her going along on a mission, but she was actually agreeing with her this time. Now if only Pearl was convinced.

Pearl adjusted Steven's legs, as they were kicking her, and stared at Amethyst's gem. The purple gem shined from the lights in the room and deep under it, Pearl saw the young girl's veins and skin. Its round shape even had multiple ridges, which made it reasonable for it to work as a key.

"Alright, but one of us has to stay with Steven. I'm pretty sure that his lunch is coming up too." Pearl nodded in disbelief and looked at the baby, kissing his forehead. "If only he was older to come with us…"

"Don't worry. I'll stay with him." An unexpected voice volunteered.

"Garnet? ...But you're the strongest out of the three of us and you're...our leader." Pearl's eyes instantly widened. She may be the wisest one, but she wasn't prepared to take on the role for guiding herself and Amethyst through the abandoned mine. Who even knows what dangers lay ahead in it?

"I believe in you and Amethyst. If by any chance you or Amethyst gets injured, then abandon the mission and come instantly home." Garnet told Pearl, her hand resting on the slender gem's shoulder. "I believe in the two of you."

"Amethyst, you better listen and follow Pearl's commands. Always stay by her side and respect the mine. If you fail my commands, then you'll stay here and will no longer go on missions. Is that understood?"

The nine year old nodded quietly in understanding, not even looking directly at Garnet. Her face was hidden behind her hair which acted as a curtain, blocking anyone to see what's behind it.

"Sure Garnet. I'll try my best at leading us and take good care of Steven." Pearl slipped Steven into Garnet's hands which made the boy squeal. He lifted up his hands and attempted to take off Garnet's shades, but she moved her head making Steven miss his chance.

"Something tells me that you just want to bond with him, right Garnet? If so, I'm sure Steven has you as his favorite guardian. You're always throwing him in the air and catching him." Pearl mellowly smiled as she took Amethyst's hand.

"Wait; before we go...I need to pack up things." Claimed Amethyst, yet she was pulled back by the older gem.

"We'll be back in just four to five hours, Amethyst. You literally just had a big snack twenty minutes ago."

"What about a first aid kit?"

Pearl face palmed and shook her head. She just wanted to get over this mission.

"Fine, just do it quickly. We have to leave in five minutes!"

…

Steven giggled at the face expressions Garnet made when changing his diaper. Her face changed from surprisement and to disgust. She even icked while wiping his bottom.

"Whoa, Steven. You sure are uh…messy…" Garnet said in disgust, wrapping up the used diaper and settled it aside.

It took Garnet about ten minutes to change Steven's diaper, due to him squirming and kicking, but he was finally changed. Steven was changed into a new set of clothes consisting of blue cotton pants and a red shirt with a cartoon crab on it. On his small feet, he wore navy blue socks which completed his outfit.

"Okay you're changed Steven, but what do you want to do?" Garnet asked Steven, as if she was expecting an answer from him. He blankly stared at her until he smiled again and he shook his arms in a babyish way.

"You're hungry right? Well, let's see what you have."

Garnet picked Steven up, as well as the used diaper, and made her way to the kitchen. She threw the diaper in the trash and opened up many cabinets until she found the one which contained many baby products. From baby formulas to bibs, it looked like an aisle from a baby department. Garnet's fingers dug around the small containers until she saw one which appealed to her.

"How about mashed carrots, Steven?"

No answer was received from the small baby.

"Okay, you'll have this."

Garnet picked up the glass container and closed the cabinet's door behind her. With one thumb, she opened up the jar and got a small red spoon from a tin can containing baby spoons and pacifiers. Next, she made her way to the couch and wrapped a bib around Steven's neck. His small tongue was seen dangling from his mouth when he saw Garnet scoop a spoonful of the mashed carrots.

"Open wide."

The plastic spoon flew into Steven's mouth and in just seconds, Steven whimpered for more food. Garnet even widely smiled as he pulled on the spoon for the food to be in his mouth. In about five minutes, Steven finished his food. His mouth was covered with the baby food, but he didn't care as his fingers were grasping for more.

"No Steven. Now you just need to be burped." Garnet playfully scolded Steven, wiping the food from his face with the baby bib.

She lifted Steven up and rested his head over her shoulder and patted his back. While doing this, Garnet hummed a small lullaby so the impatient baby can be calmed. With each pat being made, Steven lightly burped which made Garnet chuckle. Deep in her heart, she loved him dearly because he was just a new child brought into the world by someone she looked up to; Rose Quartz.

"You had enough. Why don't we go for a walk on the boardwalk?"

Again nothing.

"Let's go then."

* * *

_**So here, we'll have some Garnet and baby Steven bonding moment. :3 Very cute, but something is bounded to happen. What could it possibly be?**_

_**Also, enjoy this story? Because if you have any ideas for a baby Steven chapter/story, then PM me. I want to go through all the possible baby ideas so I can move on to the toddler years then the childhood years. A shout-out will also be given to the ones who requested, when the chapter is written. If you're a guest, then review. :)**_

_**Review/Follow/Favorite/Share this story please!**__** :)**_

_**-Gem Goddess (GG) **_


	4. The Red Protector (Part 2)

**Raising Steven Chapter 4 **

The Red Protector (Part 2)

* * *

Before even going out, Garnet made sure to bring bottles, extra clothing, and a pacifier, together in a bag so Steven would have everything he needed. The baby was even tightly secured to her, by a baby carrier made out of a plain red sheet wrapped around her waist. Steven was even close enough to Garnet to the point where his little ears can listen to her heart beat gently.

"Are you enjoying this walk, Steven?" The red gem asked to Steven with her head looking down at him. Her heart was even warmed when she saw the infant look at the new world around him with big eyes.

Steven was rarely taken out of his home, due to the overprotective fear the gems had for him; especially Pearl. The reasons behind it would seem ridiculous, but Garnet decided to go against it. If one wants to learn new things, then one must go out and explore new situations.

Steven's eyes were constantly moving around as he saw shops, restaurants, and even small tourist attractions on Beach City's famous boardwalk. Passing by him, he saw new faces from people who would greet Garnet and lightly wave at him. Even when walking past a pet shop, he ooed in amazement as he saw new creatures being displayed; two small furry puppies were playfully each other's ears.

"Want to see the animals?" Garnet asked, noticing the attention Steven gave to the animals.

"Ahh...ee..." Steven replied which Garnet took as a yes.

As soon as a foot was settled into the shop, she was greeted with a Yorkshire Terrier dog, jumping on its hind legs and twirling. Garnet chuckled and with one hand she petted the dog on its head. She always enjoyed the company of animals since they can listen and not judge to whatever one has to say.

"Ah, Garnet! You're just in time. We got new parrots just an hour ago." A cheerful voice said, behind a pile of packaged dog food. A young woman, no older than the age of twenty one, popped her head above of the bags and smiled. Her braided blond hair slipped past her shoulders and her freckled cheeks were powered with blush underneath the shadows of her bangs.

"Hello Zoe." Garnet greeted in her normal tone.

However, the peppy human instantly awed when she saw Steven. She quickly walked to them and with one finger she brushed the baby's cheek. Zoe even lightly scratched Steven's hair which made him close his eyes.

"Is this Rose's son?" Zoe asked in adoration, "Cause I remember she told me that she was pregnant."

"Yes, but she's no longer with us..."

In just a second, the young woman stopped her cuddling and dropped her look to the ground. Zoe was a good friend to Rose since the day when the gentle gem was new to the city and she would show her around. Just hearing about her death, made Zoe's heart crack in sadness.

"I'm sorry...Garnet. To you and the Crystal Gems." whispered Zoe, not taking her eyes off the Yorkie dog who was still seeking attention.

"It's no problem. It's just what happens to gems, after they have a child. Both of my parents left to bring me into the world." Garnet answered with a bit of sadness.

No words were spoken between them, instead of Steven oohing as he saw parakeets flying in their cage. The silence was broken though by a loud drop and yell from behind the shop stating, "Zoe! One of the mice escaped!"

The yell startled Steven, but was immediately calmed when he felt Garnet lightly tug on his shirt.

"Ugh! Really, Carlos? You could've made the baby cry." Zoe grunted, turning to face a tan skinned teenager with spiked gelled black hair who was standing in the first aisle' entrance. His brown eyes and smile only told everyone that he was mischievous and trouble causing.

"Baby? What...?" Carlos questioned until Garnet gestured for him to come closer.

"Garnet, he's my boss' nephew who came from Mexico just a week ago. He's here to practice his English skills, help his uncle, and to check on some colleges or universities that he is interested in." Zoe introduced, but directed the next one to the foolish boy, "Ahem, not goofing off and messing up the shop."

"Sorry. So who's this baby?" The teenage boy asked, not wanting to get any more scolds from the woman. He looked over Garnet's arms and saw Steven wrapped up, looking at him with scared eyes. "Who's this?"

Garnet smiled as she tapped Steven on his nose. "Let's just say, he's the newest member of the Crystal Gems. His name is Steven Universe."

"Crystal Gems? You're one of those magical girls with the powerful jewels right?" Carlos asked, his eyes trying to look past Garnet's black shades.

The leader nodded, not a word spoken, as she walked pass them. She could tell that Steven wanted to explore more, instead of being surrounded by strangers which made him uncomfortable. Garnet lifted the baby up to a higher level and lightly pecked his cheek with a quick unnoticed kiss. She pointed to many animals held in cages including reptiles, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, puppies, and kittens. She even showed Steven small crabs and fish kept in full watered tanks.

"So uh...want to check out the new parrots, Garnet?" Zoe asked behind Garnet. "I'm sure little Steven will enjoy them."

Garnet turned around with Steven in her arms. She looked down toward the baby's face as he moved his arms up and down, shaking his head. It seemed that Steven was eager to see more.

"Follow me then."

Zoe and Carlos led Garnet toward the back of the shop which acted as the storage room for the small store. Even Spunky, the small Yorkshire Terrier, was following them. Many items such as plastic packages and boxes were everywhere which made the group aware of where they were stepping.

"Since you're a good friend of ours, we'll show them to you guys first." The peppy woman said in her usual cheerful tone.

"But, you'll be surprised because the parrots have eggs. We'll see the new hatchlings in a month." Carlos added in with a smirk.

They arrived in front of a large cardboard box that laid on the cold stone floor containing two red parrots. One parrot was staring at them with a head turned sideways in confusion. Their eyes even stared at the small dog in hostility. The other had its head rested on its wing while sitting in a straw nest, warming the eggs underneath them.

"They're beautiful." Garnet complimented and perched down to get a better view of them. "I never saw them in reality."

In her hands was Steven still being held in his carrier. He smiled, showing his toothless mouth and reached out to touch them. However, the standing male parrot took a step back, not wanting to be petted.

"Yeah, just be careful. They tried to bite me when I got them settled in." Zoe warned with embarrassment.

Taking this warning in mind, Garnet got back up, making Steven's smile fade away. But Steven's frown became pouted lips, when they were scared by the high pitched barks of Spunky. The small dog ran to the corner of the storage with fast speed which even got the parrots' attention. Soon enough the parrots started to loudly screech. At this point, Steven began to cry in a high pitched tone.

"I'm so sorry, Garnet and Steven. That crazy dog is always like this. He loves to bark at random times for no reason." The older employee apologized, noticing the gem holding her finger to the baby's mouth in an attempt to hush him. Steven though would turn his head and cried even louder.

"Ugh! Come here Spunky!" Carlos called out behind the Yorkie dog, "I'm thinking that he saw the missing mouse."

Zoe rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. She took Garnet's hand and led her back to the shop which had a more peaceful surrounding. Behind them, they could still hear the commotion in the storage room.

"We didn't mean to scare Steven." Zoe quietly whispered.

"No, it's okay. We also need to leave." Garnet said and looked down to Steven. Tears and snot trailed down his face as he whimpered.

Zoe walked to the cashier counter and picked up a bear plush animal. Then she quickly made her way to the two Crystal Gems, presenting them the toy. The toy was fluffy enough that her fingers holding it disappeared from the amount of grey fur it had. Deep inside her was guilt forming in her chest by just looking at the scene in front of her. She could tell that Garnet didn't really knew that much about parenting thus making the strong gem struggle in this situation, but Zoe couldn't do anything about it.

"Here. This is for Steven. I'll pay for it, so no worries."

The woman sweetly cooed Steven and handed him the plush animal. Steven stared at it for a second until he turned his head and wiggled his legs. Even to Zoe's surprise, the baby pushed it to the ground and remained crying.

"I'll take it for now." Garnet thanked, reaching down for the toy bear. "Are you sure you two don't need help? I'll come back later when Pearl and Amethyst return."

Zoe looked at Garnet then down to Steven and felt bad for the small baby as he sniffed and turned his head. The baby needed his actual mother in order for him to look happier, but the Crystal Gems will substitute Rose's place.

"Alright. Later, Garnet. I hope that little Steven gets better."

...

In order to cheer the baby up, Garnet decided to take him to a popular carnival known as Funland. Laughter, joking, screams of thrill were heard, but Steven's cries went quickly over them. Instead all eyes were directed to the two gems causing unwanted attention.

"Cheer up Steven. We're going to be together and have fun." Garnet comforted the infant which didn't work at all.

Garnet's eyes wandered around the area, searching for a safe ride for Steven. She even began to check rides off her mental list. Dangerous rides were immediately crossed off, water themed ones were even off, but there were even rides which Garnet has never been on. Just to stay on the safe side, she decided to count on the ones she knows and trust.

_Something calming and soothing for him. Also, a place where I can feed him milk, _The red gem mentally thought until she found two perfect rides near each other; the Ferris wheel and the merry go round.

_Perfect._

Without even hesitating, Garnet took Steven first to the merry go round. He was still crying at the point and refused to look at anyone. His lips smacked together which Garnet knew that he was tired and wanted something to feed on. So this ride would do the trick that the gem wanted solve. Once Garnet paid for her ride, she settled down on a seat meant for seniors that was decorated with horse paintings and flowers. On her right shoulder was a hanging bag filled with the baby supplies she prepared earlier. Garnet reached down into the bag and pulled out a baby bottle filled with medium warm milk.

"Hush Steven. You're going to have milk now." Garnet warmly said in her tone and slipped the tip of the bottle into the baby's mouth.

A confused look formed on his sad face, but Steven was once again calmed down and began to loudly suck onto the bottle. His innocence can clearly be sensed by anyone around him, but this time he looked like a complete angel. Noticing this, Garnet giggled as if she was a young school girl which was extraordinary for anyone to see due to her personality. She lifted Steven up and kissed him on his head, making him snuggle deeper into her chest. As if on cue, the ride began to function with many kids on-board. Bright lights, light wind blowing in their direction, and circus like music even came on, but didn't interrupt Steven's snack. The leader relaxed and laid her back on the seat, having absolutely nothing to worry about. With the music and the bickering and laughter of the troublesome kids, Garnet could've sworn that she felt a beat run through her. Even Steven's sucking, was joining the beat. The red gem wasn't exactly the musical type of being, but she did indeed feel music around her. Soon enough, Garnet started to tap her foot on the ground and hummed a small melody in her throat.

"How about a small lullaby, Steven?"

No response was even heard from the baby except a stare from the small infant while he drank his milk. Garnet decided to take that as a yes.

_"Little Crystal Gem, you have a special place in my heart."_ Garnet quietly sung to the small baby boy.

_"With your small fingers reaching out for me, we will never be apart. _

_Little Crystal Gem, your laughs and giggles are what makes my day. _

_But hearing you cry and pout is what turns my day into gray. _

_Little Crystal Gem, I will always be here to protect you. _

_Our gems is what unites us, you are one of us too. _

_Little Crystal Gem, you are my brightest star. _

_With your courage and gem, you will definitely go far." _

Garnet smiled when she noticed Steven finish his bottle and drop it on her lap, stating that he wanted more. His pink eyes that were fresh from crying were now calm and he opened his mouth into a yawn. Now all that Steven needed was a nap, but the slow ride eventually ended as Garnet began to rock the baby in her arms. With a sigh, the gem got up from her seat with disappointment. Just a few minutes more on the ride could've made Steven go to sleep. But Garnet resumed to her next ride; the Ferris wheel.

"We're going on the nice wheel ride Steven."

Somewhere high above the targeted ride was a large magical bird flying circles around the two spotted gems. The bird was extraordinary to anyone who would even see it. Large sparkling black feathers, golden knife like talons, and fierce wide green eyes were what made it seem scary to anyone. It's sharp long beak and head were locked onto the baby being held in Garnet's arms. His mouth watered with hunger as he saw Steven raise his arms, reaching out for the bird himself. Garnet didn't notice the bird though making him lucky. The bird took a better look at the ride they were heading on which instantly gave him an idea. From the height they were about to go on, he planned to swoop down and take the baby, making Steven his perfect lunch.

After what seemed like hours of waiting in line and having kicks thrown at her chest, Garnet finally got on the ride. Once again she had to go through the trouble of calming Steven down because during the long wait, he was fidgeting around again. Garnet was even getting tired by cradling him, but all she wanted was for Steven to go to sleep. While sitting in the ride waiting for her turn at the top, many thoughts ran through her head which came as flashbacks.

Her face expressions would even display the emotions that ran through her; from grief of a close loss, a love-struck grin from watching Steven look at his new surroundings to even the worse which is fear of losing him. The previous nightmares she was facing with were a big impact on her thoughts as they all involved with Rose and Steven facing a terrible death. It seemed as if everyone had their preying eyes on the little baby gem. From deep thought, the gem could see the world fade away as it seemed as if it was just her floating in the cloudy skies. Something however was terribly off…

"Steven?" the gem asked. In her hands, she could feel nothing being held. That's when it struck her. Steven was gone.

Garnet instantly snapped out of her dazed mood and got up from her seat gaining the attention of everyone around her. She even just recently noticed that they were at the top. Some of the humans down below her yelled for her to take a seat, but Garnet ignored them. Above her were the crows of a large bird which directed a shadow on the wooden floors of the carnival with something held in its beak causing some people to scream from what it had. A loud cry was even heard above her and Garnet could easily know who it was.

_The nightmare...it's happening... _

* * *

**_Uh oh! Looks like Steven is going to be a bird's lunch...but not under Garnet's watch. However, how will the gem get to Steven? Will there be more cuteness? Stay tuned! _**

**_A big birthday shout-out to...Starcharter-75, who's a good fanfiction friend to me! :D (Their stories are amazing and Happy Late B-Day! ^^;)_**

**_Please review/follow/fav/share cause they are my inspiration. Also vote! (please...)_**

**_-Gem Goddess (GG) _**


	5. The Red Protector (Part 3)

**Raising Steven Chapter 5**

The Red Protector (Part 3)

* * *

_...It's happening…_

Garnet looked up at the sky and could feel the adrenaline run through her veins. The child that she offered to care for was gone. But, the hungry bird wasn't going to win this fight. The gem jumped off the tall height of the Ferris wheel, amazing people as she perfectly landed on her feet. She didn't know how to reach out to the bird, but had to think quickly...for Steven's sake and life. Blindly, she grabbed metal and other heavy objects to launch at the bird, but thought of her actions when she heard the small baby cry at the top of his lungs.

"No. I can hurt Steven if I miss my shot. Oh, what now?!" Garnet growled in anger, crushing a metal pipe in her hands.

Stares and looks of horror were surrounding Garnet, making her feel rushed and disgraced. All she wanted was a quick moment for her to recollect her thoughts until she saw the structure of the bird. Luckily it was circling them, mocking them for its own satisfaction. The feathered creature squawked loudly as his long wings flapped through the air. Its legs were perched inside his body and its fierce eyesight is what made it seem paranoid. With all these details, an idea formed into Garnet's head, but it was a choice she was going to struggle with; shape shifting. The gem was very rusty on her abilities at changing from her human like form into the body of another animal. The last time she did this was nearly three years ago, when she changed into the structure of a wolf combating a small snake that hid in its hole which held a dangerous gem.

With her fingers crossed, she closed her eyes and concentrated on each muscle on her body, making them change differently. People oohed and awed as her arms formed into wings and her size was dramatically shrinking. A sharp beak sprouted in place of her nose and mouth, and her feet turned into talons with long black nails. Seconds later, she was transformed into a large hawk with red striped feathers running throughout her body. The only traits remaining on her were the black pointy shades, her cubed shaped hair transferred into feathers, and her garnet gems embedded on each wing. The newly formed bird screeched in success and instantly took off into the sky, hearing humans cheer for her as she took flight.

The wind felt like it even accompanied her with each inch she got closer. As she got a better look at the bird, she could easily identify the breed of it.

A strange fact about the bird was that it only lived in tropical climates and only hunted at night, making the wandering creature seem suspicious to Garnet. What made it magical was its sparkling feathers and its ability to charm their prey with music. The bird's species name was Nocte Amet, meaning Night Magic in the dead language of Latin.

"You're not getting away with this!" Garnet spat through her beak, charging herself closer to the magical bird. As she got closer, she instantly was surprised to see the bird being larger than herself and with the blanket carriage in its beak, dragging baby Steven away. Luckily the baby wasn't injured or scratched, making Garnet sigh in relief. The only bad thing was that Steven was severely coughing and looked as if he was ready to hurl from the high height they were on. She quickly needed to bring him back onto land.

"Steven. Remain calm. Don't make any more noises that will startle the bird."

The bird had other thoughts in his mind that could've cause the baby to cry even louder. He looked down at Steven and stared at the infant with great hunger. The bird's head was starting to bend down, trying to snatch a quick bite from the baby hanging for his talons. Steven though would move his head and would try to kick the bird's snapping beak away.

"Get away from Steven!" The gem bird screeched, charging head first into her enemy's side. That was when the Nocte bird realized that it was declared war. Turning his head, he opened up his beak in offense and loudly spat at Garnet, as if he was directly cursing at her though she choose to ignore him. Her aim was to take Steven away from Nocte's grasp. Using her long wings, she tried to strike the bird on his head, but missed. It dodged her attack in just a quick second.

_This bird is pretty smart for it to foolishly wander out here._ Garnet thought to herself.

Flapping her wings even harder, she raised her level above the bird's height. There she could see Steven clearly, his hands and legs moving up in the air for her to get him. His face was brightly red due to his crying which was still continuing. Fury ran through her and pure motivation came to her from seeing this. There she decided to dive down into her opponent. The wind felt good as it brushed past her feathers and made it felt like each second was a minute. Time paused in its place and everything seemed to move in slow motion. The eerie cries of the baby toward the screams and cheering, it seemed so subtle for her to hear. It all though stopped when she smashed down onto the Nocte.

Garnet saw the bird lose their balance, making them confused on what was happening around them. He was very light headed, making it a good time for Garnet to attack him and take Steven. Using her beak, she pecked the enemy's neck and kicked their side, pushing him to the aside. Quickly flying over there, she roughly beaten up Nocte's side with her strong widened wings. Hits, scratches, sharp pecks, and kicks were all that came to Garnet for her to knock the bird out cold. She even forgot about her task, as she got lost in the moment of the battle.

"I must win."

Below the fight, was Steven being held in his blanket. He stared at the two fighting birds through his teary eyes and ahhed when he saw Garnet kick his holder. Steven even began to move his small fists to her beating, making him have the desire to fight his enemies despite his young age at a month old. From much motion that took from their collision, the baby felt his stomach acid rise making his uncomfortable.

"Gahh..." Steven cried toward the birds, making Garnet regain her focus on completing her task to save him.

With one last blow, she struck and pushed the bird away. However, a new conflict arose from this action; baby Steven was dropped out of the talons of the Nocte. This was the turning point that Garnet wasn't prepared for as she saw the baby fall down to his possible tragic fate. Avoiding any further problems with the dumbfounded bird, she dove into Steven's rescue.

"Steven!" The red bird yelled in shock, hearing his scream echo throughout the area.

She firmly pressed her wings against her bulky chest and had her beak pointed down, letting her speed become faster. Absolutely nothing ran through her mind at the time, even if she could feel the other bird turn to her direction with his desire to kill them both. But there was something wrong. Garnet was going down too fast, making her pass the falling infant.

"No!" Garnet spat in annoyance, unfolding her wings that only resulted in the air's force putting a hard pressure on them. There was only one thing that she could do, which was trying something else before time runs out. She tried to close her eyes again to become another form with heavier weight. Ideas such as becoming a cow, a hippopotamus, an elephant, to even a heavy whale were brought until her garnet gems glowed on her wings.

_Please...just help me get Steven..._

After her small prayer, Garnet opened her eyes to see her muscular legs and her long arms. The gem was back in her normal recognizable form and just in time for her to land on the ground. Shortly after, she landed, causing the land around her to crumble and shake. She even broke part of the wooden floors, but no one got hurt.

After her was Steven, who was screaming, but fell silent. He landed perfectly in her arms as if the day called for him to be safe and sound with Garnet. Tears still fell down his cheeks, but he smiled and giggled when he saw the surprised look on the gem's face.

"And this is why Pearl doesn't want you to go out that much..." The gem dryly humored and wiped the baby's face with the torn blanket. "You like action, don't you Steven?"

The baby continued to giggle, putting one hand in his mouth and the other one pointing to the sky. Shadows still were flown above them, making Garnet turn her head to see what Steven was pointing at. The Nocte Amet bird was charging toward them in full speed with a loud ear piercing screech. Quickly, she summoned one gauntlet in her hand as the other arm was carrying the baby.

"Bring it!" Garnet stood firm on the ground, her armored hand being turned into a fist. She was ready to punch the bird to its death. To her surprise, not only was she armored she saw Steven's gem glow brightly underneath his shirt. Garnet's vision then was seen through clear pink glass, from the top to the bottom.

"A bubble? Steven...?" Garnet's words trailed off until she saw the painful collision of the bird against the magical glass bubble. The Nocte bird fell to the ground like a doll, with no gleam of consciousness in its still eyes. Its tongue even plopped out of its beak, disgusting the gem from the color and condition of it. Small black dots and green slime dripped out of his tongue, making it unpleasant to watch.

With one finger brought upwards, Garnet popped the bubbly shield and looked down at Steven, with amazement. His gem still had traces of sparkling magic. Even the crowd around them was amazed by the "show" they just seen. The humans cheered and clapped to see the female hero look around them with Steven in her hands. She quickly discarded her gauntlet as she saw them come cautiously toward her. Though Garnet did her best at ignoring them.

"You have Rose's own powers..." Garnet said in astonishment and tapped Steven's nose making him smile. "This time you defeated the bird. Good work, Steven."

Reaching down, she picked up the unconscious bird by its neck and made her way to the exit of Funland. Far behind her, she heard a light toned cry call out for her as she turned around to see a small girl with a bag in her hand.

"Uh, Miss...You forgot your bag on the Ferris wheel." The girl exclaimed, seeing Garnet reach down to grab it, making her brown eyes widen for her extraordinary structure. "Also, what you did back there was amazing! I mean you turned into a bird, and then you were beating up that other bird's butt like nothing happened! How you even caught that baby and made that bubble thing was the best thing I have ever seen...ever! You are like a superhero!"

Garnet laughed and patted the energetic girl's head with affection. It was nice to see that she has a few fans that look up to her. "My name is Garnet. I'm the new leader of the Crystal Gems."

"Crystal Gem?"

"Yes. We protect humanity from natural or extraterrestrial forces with our powers that are held in our gems."

The small girl smiled in glee then pointed to Steven, who was looking at her with drool going down his chin. Noticing this, Garnet lifted the baby up and settled him on her right side with the bird in her hand.

"This is Steven. He's a new gem with a different set of powers, but he's a baby."

"Is he your baby Miss. Garnet? Are you his mommy?"

The gem's eyes widened and shook her head, not wanting the girl to get the wrong idea. At that point, Garnet didn't even know how she would consider her role to Steven. The baby was a month old, but he made his way into her stoic heart in less than a week. She loved him, but was confused with the emotion. It was something that she didn't experience that often.

"I must leave now. The other gems will be shortly home." Garnet lied to excuse herself and tried to walk away, but was stopped by a hug from the girl. "Please stop hugging me..."

"No...You're my role model. I want to be brave and strong like you when I grow up. I Sarah, will soon become a member of the Crystal Gems. I will start to make my gem soon though and tape it around my back. I can even show it to you when I have it done. Just know that, I'm a big fan and I love you guys."

...

"We're back Garnet! We brought home some stuff too!" Amethyst yelled as soon as she stepped off the portal. On her shoulders were two woolen bags filled with food, clothing, and even other souvenirs. "The natives there were super nice and gave us this stuff for free! This was their way of thanking the almighty us!"

Beside the nine year old was Pearl who grunted at Amethyst's childish decision of yelling when there was a baby in the room.

"Garnet? How was Steven today?" Pearl asked. The two just arrived gems walked toward the living room and were met with a cute sight. Garnet was sitting on the floor with Steven in between her legs, feeding him milk from his bottle.

"Hello gems." Garnet quietly greeted, "Steven was a good boy today. He even activated one of Rose's powers."

Pearl and Amethyst gasped in surprise from hearing the news and walked toward Garnet. They then even rested on the floor alongside with the red gem. Pearl squealed with love as she saw Steven gulp, pinching his cheeks. The teenager's eyes glowed as she took his small hand and squeezed it under her grasp.

"Aww...we both missed it. I missed this special moment of my baby." Pearl said with misery.

"Your baby? What are you...like his mom or something?" Amethyst scolded her companion's statement, elbowing her in the ribs.

"No, but I love him like one. He needs all the attention he can get, because he has no mother or anybody except the three of us and Greg. Speaking of Greg, I'm sure he'll be back shortly. It's nearly five and I'm exhausted to make dinner for us. Hopefully, he comes with food."

"Right! I swear I can eat anything right now. Like anything." The purple gem teased, "Also, Garnet. I've been a goody two shoes today. I obeyed P's commands, didn't do anything bad or disrespectful, and got the cursed statue in my bag. It's now up for you to take care of it. It's even creepy to look at though."

Amethyst looked down into her bags and pulled out the rock statue. It was supposed to be a statue of an iguana with an amethyst gem in its forehead, but it was deformed. She tossed it to Garnet's open hand with her best innocent face she could have. The older gem noticed this, but chose to ignore it.

"So...I've been good. Can I go to other missions? Please Garney?"

Garnet directed her look to Pearl and gestured the same question to her. The younger teenager stared at Amethyst, shaking her head in defeat.

"Yes. She was a good girl and was very helpful. Her gem worked like a charm as it opened up many doors to our destination containing our target." The pearl gem did have to admit that she was impressed with Amethyst's attitude on the journey. She wouldn't talk back, would be very cautious of sudden traps, and quietly got the statue despite the confusion of its location.

"Fine. Yes you can, but do know that some missions can be dangerous for you. There are even times when you will have to babysit Steven." Garnet said, looking around the area, especially in a particular place which Pearl noticed that there was something extraordinary with it.

"Is that a..." Pearl began to question.

"Nocte Amet...yes. It was wandering out here and caught Steven. Don't worry though. Steven is not harmed and is safe. I'm going to take the bird to the northern mountains to get it what it wants."

The addressed bird was resting on the couch with his head on the ripped red blanket. Beside it were two cups of water and chunks of raw meat. Pearl felt bad for the bird while Amethyst walked toward it and stared at it with wonder.

"But what is it doing here? This climate isn't very suitable for the bird." Pearl stated, scratching her head in confusion.

"It's sick. It wanted to find a cure or medicine more northward from here. But, it made a foolish decision of trying to make Steven his lunch."

Garnet brought Steven up on her shoulder and patted his back, hushing him. He belched with each pat on his back, to even the worse. The baby threw up all his last meals on Garnet's shoulder. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and confusion of what her next action should be.

"Aww...he threw up on you again." Pearl said with adoration, "Where's my camera?"

"Yes! Cause I don't want to forget this!" Amethyst laughed while clutching onto her stomach.

The leader rolled her eyes and moved her head away from the vomit. "Um, why not give a towel instead, Pearl?"

Steven laughed while turning his head to look around and clapped his small hands together in joy. He may not have a mother, but he sure did have a family.

* * *

**_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It definitely had action in the beginning, but made its way toward cuteness. _**

**_This here is an important announcement and a clarification that has to be made. In the episode of Steven Universe, "So Many Birthdays", Pearl clearly stated that gems don't age and live for a very long time. (Beyond human years) This story starts out with them being younger and I'm going to keep it that way and make them progress. This whole story is planned out and it shows Steven and the gems grow older and learn from their mistakes. It is actually the beauty of this story and I want you to experience the beauty of growing older by reading this. So please keep that in mind! ^^;_**

**_In other news, I got permission to use artwork from the fabulous, Gracekraft or Porcubird on Tumblr as the art cover for this story! All credit goes to them and if you're reading this Grace, thank you so much! :D So if you have a Tumblr or wouldn't mind checking out their blog, please do so. They have amazing and breathtaking Steven Universe fanart! :)_**

**_Again, don't forget to follow/favorite/review/share this story please! I would appreciate you so much! Until next time..._**

**_-Gem Goddess (GG) _**


	6. Endless Cries (Part 1)

**Raising Steven Chapter 6**

Endless Cries (Part 1)

* * *

_Tick tock...tick tock…_

The clock ticked within every second. Seconds became minutes and minutes turned into hours. Days would eventually go by, which turned into months. From being a month old toward turning into three months, felt like a long time...like three unimaginable years would go by. Every day would seem unbearable for the gems to handle as Steven slowly grew. Instead of needing support for him to get on his stomach, he would do it by himself with no problem. His arms and legs were even growing by just a few centimeters, but all those measures mattered. What even mattered the most was that Steven was a happy healthy baby. But there was one day when the world was darkened by severe coughing and no desire to eat anything. Even those endless cries...

_Tick tock...tick tock..._

It felt like time was their own enemy.

With a stiff cup of warm tea in her hand and the other occupied with a fresh biscuit, Pearl stared out into the open with tiresome bloodshot eyes. Her legs had fallen asleep from her uncomfortable chair as her arms rested on the counter. Accompanying her on her morning breakfast was Garnet, Amethyst, and Greg. No words or discussions have been distributed amongst themselves. All that their ears could hear was Steven cry, cough, and sniff roughly, worrying each of them deeply. The poor infant was suffering from an unexplainable sickness. Tears even poured out of Pearl's clear eyes as she sobbed, hanging her head in shame as she thought more about his delicate state.

"Don't worry, Pearl. I'll take him to a doctor soon. It doesn't matter if we don't have enough money. I'll do anything for my son to get better." Greg comforted the crystal gem, but didn't get any answer from her.

"I'll doubt the doctor would know what to do with Steven. He is a gem, and we are different from humans making it impossible for the doctor to find the right cure for him." Garnet retorted, trying her best to fight back the tears.

"For once, his crying is making me sadder than it should be." Amethyst said through spoonfuls of cold cereal, "They would always annoy me. This time, I just don't know what to think about this."

"Can't we_ try_?! There is no other choice for Steven to get better. Are we just going to sit around here and do nothing?! He's severely sick!" Greg raised his voice in slight anger. He was just devastated at the low courage the gems had for Steven to get better. "The three of you never gave up on anything, but you'll just give up on Steven's health. I can't believe you."

Pearl and Garnet gave the human man a cold stare, feeling a stab of guilt from his words. If it was them being sick, they would have to do their own ways of healing themselves which included strange ingredients and even fire, water, or anything else, depending on their gem's natural element. But for a baby gem, they had no idea of what to do. They never even learned how to cure a baby, even when they saw Rose cure Amethyst when she was younger. Those days though were far behind them, making it forgettable for them to remember how it was.

"Oh please, let's not get hasty and jump to conclusions. Garnet is right and any doctor won't able to do anything for Steven. This sickness looks like a special case found among our kind. Humans would take months or even years to figure out how this illness works and find a cure before our baby's life is saved. But this mostly affects gems." Pearl weakly argued back, not daring to make eye contact with the angry man.

Defeated, Greg sighed with sadness and whispered, "I don't want to lose him like Rose. He's my own son." His words went unnoticed by the older gems, instead of one.

"Uh, Mr. Universe. Rose always told us to keep our heads up and push these small problems aside. I'm sure Steven will be a healthy baby again..._hopefully_." Amethyst answered back, lightly kicking his leg underneath the table to gain his attention.

Greg smiled at Amethyst, but directed his attention when Steven wailed from his bassinet. His stubby legs were seen kicking the air, as if he was trying his best to gain the undivided attention of someone to comfort him. Hearing this made Pearl sob even louder. Greg saw as Pearl weakly got up from her seat, but motioned for her to sit back down. The gem shook her head and continued to walk to the bassinet, but was halted by Greg's arm. She glared at him through her watery eyes and walked past him, her arms lowering his own.

"I'll take care of him. I'm sure he needs something to fill up his stomach." Pearl claimed, standing over the baby's bassinet. She even began to gently cradle his bassinet with the tip of her fingertips.

Steven coughed up tiny pieces of yellow phlegm that oozed out of his mouth in which the older gem took immediate action. She carefully picked up the baby and cradled him in her arms, tears dropped on Steven's forehead. Pearl held him closer to her as she wiped away his dirty mouth with her own shirt. She didn't care about it. For a teenager, Pearl was very passionate about those around her compared to other teenagers her age. She was only sixteen years old.

"What do we even do? Bringing him to the doctor makes me fear that they might take him away into the hospital, where he will have no love and hugs from us. We should just pray for him to get better."

The only full human there could've felt warm fresh tears form in the corner of his eyes, but he quickly fought them back. Greg shook off the negative thoughts that came to him and took Pearl by the arm, turning her direction facing towards him. Steven looked up at his own father with a worried, uncomfortable look. His brown eyes could instantly tell anybody that he wanted someone to save him from his sickness or his misery.

"Pearl, please. I insist on taking care of Steven. Why don't you at least go and get some baby medicine for him. At least have hope for the baby." Greg assured her, softly taking Steven away from her grasp. Pearl refused at first until her expression changed from hearing Steven wince below her chin.

"Fine." Pearl sighed, "I'll leave right now so Steven can at least get better sooner, if that is what you're assuming."

"Go to the pharmacy. There they might have something for him. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Pearl nodded and looked back at the other gems with a worried gleam in her blue eyes. She moved her head to the door, as if saying that one of them can accommodate her. Garnet shook her head while Amethyst accepted the gesture.

"I'll come P, so you won't be alone." Amethyst stated and quickly drank her remaining milk from her cereal. Getting up quickly, she ran to Pearl's side and falsely smiled up at her.

The boney teenager sighed, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, and looked towards Steven's direction. The baby coughed and fidgeted with his fingers while avoiding Pearl's soft stare. Such innocence and angel like vibes could come to anyone by just one quick glance at the baby.

"I'll do anything for you." Pearl whispered to Steven. Stretching her arms and straightening her back, she huffed and dashed to the door.

Looking back one last time, the gem nodded to the two left behind and took the young purple gem's hand, "I'll be right back. Don't let Steven out of your sight!"

After that, Pearl ran out in desperation to get back as quickly as possible, with Amethyst holding onto her. They left an unsettling scene behind them, not wanting to feel more guilty than they should be. Greg stared at the door from where the two left with a sharp pain stabbing his heart. The wind outside blew against his long hair as well as the bright morning sun shining into the dark room. It all created an eerie shadow on his and Steven's face. The baby in his arms continued to cough and snorted back the snot trailing down his upper lips.

_Just have hope. Steven can get better. If not, I'll take him to the hospital. I don't care what these gems will say about it._ Greg thought to himself, already planning ahead of what to do.

"Come. Let me hold Steven, Greg." Garnet loudly spoke to the human man, who instantly turned to face her.

"Garnet?" The man could feel his vocal cords tighten against his throat as the next words slipped out, "What exactly do you think his sickness could be?"

Garnet hesitated at first until she looked away from him. She shook her head back and forth as if she didn't understand him at first. She rubbed her nose that lifted her shades, not noticing that parts of her multicolored eyes were being shown.

"Let's look at his symptoms. He's barely eating anything, he's coughing more than usual, it appears that he developed rashes on certain places, high temperature, and a stuffed nose-"

"It's the flu! Right?" Greg interrupted the gem. Her answer to his question was a shrug.

"Similar. Pearl has more knowledge about this, but I can help. Let me hold Steven." Garnet said in her deep usual tone with no emotion presented in it.

There was a pause in their conversation, but Greg's decision to give the baby up to Garnet was decided. Dragging his feet, as if they were made of stone, he walked to her and handed Steven to the leader. Steven was face to face with the red gem, however he tried to wiggle himself out of her strong grasp. His high cries rang through Garnet's ears, buzzing her ear drums. He even kicked her chest with his bare feet. It's as if he never met Garnet before.

"Please. Calm down. I'm here. Here to help you."

Steven continued to kick and cry, despite the fact that he was being comforted by his favorite _'babysitter.'_

"When will they get back?"

...

Pearl and Amethyst stared at the line in front of them with ice cold eyes. Their stares seemed that they could burn a hole into anybody by any second waiting more in line. Sweat dripped down the youngest gem's brow, from the lack of the air conditioned atmosphere and from nervousness. Pearl even began to bite her nails, messing up her previous manicure session. Her fingers were gripping onto a small blue box with bolded letters, _'Baby Flu Formula.'_ It felt like they were in line for thirty minutes, but it was only just a minute.

"Why does everybody need medicine today?!" Pearl exclaimed, her eye slightly twitching from annoyance. That exclamation cost her a few dirty looks. "Oh don't look at me that way! I have a sick baby to attend."

The humans before and behind her adjusted their looks onto each other. The thoughts occurring in their minds were readable from their expressions.

"Pfft. Teen moms..." One of them audibly muttered to themselves.

Amethyst looked up at her older gem teammate, her mouth puffed from the laughter wanting to escape her lungs. It was understandable for why they would assume that Pearl would be the mother due to the motherly tone in her voice when she said baby. The skinny teenager just rolled her eyes, accepting the false statement about her.

Each customer payed off their item resulting with the two gems becoming closer to the cashier. Amethyst's goofy grin from the lie about Pearl, started to dissipate. The child looked around her surroundings in order for her to maintain her patience. Her deep purple pupils were instantly attracted by the sight of candy and sweets. It was eye candy to her. Sneakily walking away, she went to the aisle without Pearl noticing. The pearl gem was already tired to the point where she started to close her eyes from her lack of sleep.

"Chocolate or lollipops...? Or gumdrops and candy dip?" Amethyst loudly wondered to herself. Each step further into the aisle made her eyes widen by the delicious looking candy there was. Her taste buds were already dancing to the sweet taste it would have in her mouth. Inside the gem's mind was a small debate being made until chocolate won her over. She took five bars; one for her, the rest of the Crystal Gems, Greg, and Steven. Amethyst didn't have any slight idea on how a baby could or should have chocolate, but she was too naive to care.

Glad with her decision, the purple gem giggled. Her young mind almost forgot about the reason on why she was there until she met a book cover that reminded her of Steven. It was a book on how to raise a baby.

"Haha. Pearl would _love_ to see this."

Amethyst took the book and ran to the front of the line where she saw Pearl standing. Her eyes would constantly close and pop open while she swayed side to side in a sleepy matter. Stepping up to the front of the line, Amethyst poked Pearl's shoulder that instantly aroused her.

"Pearl! I found a book that is perfect for you, since you're the mommy of the Crystal Gems." Amethyst mocked with a high tone. She held the book up to Pearl's viewpoint.

"_You and your baby: A guide on how to properly raise a child._" Pearl quietly read to herself, "Seems interesting and promising."

Eventually time went by until they were finally called. Amethyst and Pearl sighed in relief as they made their way to the cashier. The items in Pearl's and Amethyst's hands surprised the male cashier. He chuckled to himself.

"It seems that motherhood is crushing you, isn't it miss? Just enough to make you buy five chocolate bars."

"Chocolate bars?" Pearl questioned and turned to Amethyst. The shorter girl sheepishly grinned from embarrassment.

The cashier laughed, "Yes. No worries though miss. I heard chocolate eases the stress for a while. Especially if you're a teenage mother. How is your child doing?"

"I'm not a teenage mother!"

...

"What are we supposed to do now? The medicine doesn't seem like it's working." Garnet said in disappointment.

It has been a couple of hours since Steven has taken the dreadful tasting medicine. After a few rounds of throwing up and constant checking of his rashes, it appeared that he was only getting worst by the minute. His cracked, dried lips were turning into a light shade of purple as well his head constantly looking moist and hot. The worst part was that his appetite was slowly decreasing day by day. Another addition was that his crying never stopped. The only option the gems had were to lighten the baby up.

"Hmm...Why not do some funny tricks for him? He loves to laugh at silly things. It will keep him distracted while I'll think of something else." Pearl said to try and encourage the rest of the gems.

Amethyst and Garnet stood next to each other, with looks of confusion. In front of them was Steven being held by Greg. The baby already gave them a displeased look and violently shook his arms. His father even bounced his legs to cradle the baby, but nothing.

"Uh...Look at me Steven! I'm a dumb clown."

Amethyst ran to the kitchen to grab a can of whip cream and a fresh strawberry from the fridge. She dashed back, smudging whip cream around her face, and threw some to Garnet's direction. It smudged against her figure, but her lips remained calm with not a single flinch. Amethyst then started to smash the strawberry against her nose which changed her face completely.

"Come on Garnet. Bare with me." Amethyst muttered to the gem beside her. With one finger, she scrapped some of the sugary cream off her chin and attempted to reach Garnet's face, but ended up wiping it off her muscular thigh.

"Haha." The small gem lightly laughed.

Steven was still not amused. Instead he screamed while crying even louder.

"Maybe he's afraid of clowns. Why not something else?" Greg spoke loudly, his eyes directing to the clock on the side of the wall. It ticked within every second and read, '5:00.' It was almost evening.

Garnet nodded at his statement. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. Opening her mouth what came was, "Pearl, play us some music."

The gem did as she was commanded and turned to a small radio that was on the kitchen counter. She turned it several times to get a good signal or at least a station that was playing music. Her hand stopped when she caught the sound of energetic bubblegum pop which disgusted Greg, but it will have to do.

"Yes! You're playing some of my favorite; Britney Styles!" Amethyst squealed in excitement until she was elbowed by Garnet.

"Don't forget about our task, Amethyst. We're supposed to cheer Steven up." Garnet reminded the young gem, making her roll her eyes.

"If we show Steven we're having a good time then he'll sure lighten up." Amethyst retorted.

And Amethyst was right. Steven hushed himself down a bit, but not from the fun the gems were having; it was from the complete fools the gems were making of themselves. Amethyst took Pearl's hands and shook her dreamily while singing, _"Cause baby I'm a star! I'm the fire in the sky!"_

Garnet was even dancing by shaking her hips and stiffly moving her arms around in a robotic matter.

"Go Garnet! You go gem!" Pearl awkwardly played along with Amethyst's act.

The purple gem filled the air with her laughter and glee. Though it was understandable due to her young age. She skipped to Greg and Steven, her feet jumping rhythmically, and took the human man by the hand.

"Steven, let's have fun! Let's dance!" Amethyst said excitedly while moving Greg's arm to the beat.

"Amm..." Steven mumbled, his small hands attempting to touch the gem's long light purplish white hair. His small frown turned into a light smile, showing off his gums with delight in which the rest of the gems couldn't resist to smile back. For the time in days, his smile brightened the day of everyone that was there.

"Oh, say my name. Am-e-thyst. Repeat after me..." Steven giggled at her statement. He tapped his foot against his father's side while moving his head. Even Greg was starting to move to the beat.

"You see! He was close to saying my name. He said Am." Amethyst pointed out to the older gems. Pearl smirked at her statement and made affectionate eyes toward the baby.

However to their dismay, everyone stopped dead in their tracks when Steven coughed heavily through his tiny throat. He hurled up vomit from his mouth, surprising the gems and shocking Greg. Tears were already pouring down his chubby cheeks as he lifted up his arms and reached for someone to clean him. Greg looked down at his own son with complete horror as he saw his son vomit again.

"Gems!" Garnet loudly spoke to the rest of the magical girls, "Attend Steven!"

The three gems did their best at comforting the baby. Pearl turned off the radio and grabbed a hanging towel from a nearby rack, her hands shaking from complete anxiety. Without any thought or concern, she took Steven away from Greg and wiped his mouth and covered shirt. It was tragic for them to witness Steven weep with all his might. The miracle of them enjoying themselves for the first time in days, has quickly vanished in minutes.

* * *

_**Hope you enjoyed! :) Unfortunately, I had to cut this chapter into two parts due to its long length. Next chapter contains Rose Quartz! Will poor Steven ever get better and what's his mysterious sickness?**_

_**Thanks and credit to Trollface Mastah for this idea of Steven being sick. Be sure that if you have an idea for "Raising Steven", leave it in the reviews (only if you're a guest!) or PM me! You'll be credited! :D **_

_**Also, the results for my next story is in. "Armageddon" wins for my next story. So keep your eyes peeled for the first chapter to come out because it's going to be action packed with unimaginable events! (As well as a little surprise this week I have for you guys) **_

_**On another note, "Love Bites!" is going to be updated as soon as possible. I apologize to my readers for the delay, but I haven't forgotten about it. **_

_**Next chapter for this will come shortly. (Maybe before this week. Man my life is crazy due to track and dance practice...)**_

_**Please REVIEW/FOLLOW/FAVE/SHARE this story! :D **_

_**-Gem Goddess (GG) **_


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